Although we will provide participants with all the information and documents they need, it is good to know that the contract is one of the most important documents of the program in America. It needs signatures of the Host Family and the Au Pair to make sure that both parties agree with it.

Another important point is the Au Pair insurance. As a matter of fact, the participant will have health and medical insurance which will be paid by the hosts.

Most participants will have to drive the host children, so the automobile insurance will be provided by the Host Family too.

AuPair.com and our partner agency will take care of everything, if the Au Pair has been accepted for the Au Pair in America program and the Host Family is found.

The Au Pair contract in America

All legal Au Pair programs in the USA follow US Government regulations which protect Au Pairs and Host Families. As a result of these regulations, programs in the USA have Au Pair and Host Family Agreements (contracts).

Both parties have to sign it. The contract is a legal document that enforces the rules of the Au Pair Program which all participants have to follow at any time.

The contract is of importance to protect everyone and to help to avoid any misunderstandings or problems during the stay. It also ensures that all sponsoring organizations follow the US Government rules.

Termination of the contract

If the Host Family and the Au Pair have issues and they can’t find a solution to them, the contract may be terminated. The agency will try to place the participant that was not compatible with one family with a different family. We always recommend though to communicate with each other and to talk about any problem or misunderstanding that occurs! It is important to remember that there are two different cultures that have to learn something about each other. Patience is really important. In case that the participant can not be placed again, she/he has to go back home.

What else?

The participant should also have a signed letter of invitation from the Host Family, including the information of the stay. After the plane has landed in the USA the border control might ask some questions about the stay. With this invitation letter she/he can prove the reason for her being in the USA.

The Au Pair will also need all those documents for the visa application at the US embassy. If she/he forgets some of the documents, she/he will have to get a new appointment.

The Au Pair insurance in the USA

In the program, health insurance and driving insurance are provided by the Host Family to their new family members. Below you will find the details regarding each type of insurance.

Health insurance in the USA

The US Government requires all J-1 Visa sponsoring organizations like our partner Agent Au Pair to provide a quality health and medical insurance to participants. This insurance is paid from the Host Family’s program fee and it provides treatment for participants if needed.

Car insurance and driving license

Mobility in the USA does only really work with a car. Of course the Au Pair can go somewhere by bus or with the subway. But to be honest, this is only practical in large cities like New York or San Francisco. If the participant plans to go to the mall, she won’t want to take the bus. A meeting with others for a coffee? He/She should take the car!

Most American families require their Au Pair to drive a car anyways, since some of the tasks will be to bring the kids to school and pick them up, give them a ride to play dates or other social activities.

To be an Au Pair in the USA the participant must have an international driver’s license.

The more actual driving experience the applicant has, the better.

Participants with driving experience can find a Host Family much more easily. The family will also pay the drivers insurance for their Au Pair, so the hosts prefer good drivers.

Some US states will require candidates to obtain a driver’s license from that state. Whether or not the Au Pair can just get a US driver’s license without taking a test depends on the state the Host Family lives in. For example:

In Virginia, the Au Pair can just go to the DMV and request a driver’s license of Virginia. This driver’s license is also the ID, in case someone asks for it.

In California though, the Au Pair will have to take a test to get the California driver’s license.

So the procedures are very different. The Au Pair and Host Family should get some information about this issue once the participant has arrived.